Uncanny Precedence
by Chaeann Bourne
Summary: It was the middle that you began but what if you found out it all began two generations before? Before Uncanny Resolve there first must be Uncanny Precedence. This details the childhood, life, and conflicts of Shiba Isao, Kuchiki Ginrei, and Yamamoto Genryusai as young children. The story begins for the next installment of the Uncanny trilogy. (Should read Uncanny Friends first)
1. Prologue

Old eyes stare across the burning planes of a ruined world. The grey in them is nearly obscured by the rising flames. Hs entire life's work turned to ash in his own frivolous quest to reconcile his past and obtain a better world than what he alone could create. If only he had been given more time he had always thought. If only his master would have lived a few moments longer and be able to tell him why his dear friends had turned their backs to him. Millennia have passed with no new trio emerging. He had tried; hoped that it would have been Shunsui, Jushiro, and Retsu. He had failed time and time again unaware that the true trio were sheltered from his knowledge in a familial line very much the same age as his own yet oddly more powerful now than ever. They had protected their bloodlines well; so well that he did not even think the foolish children a threat to his power. How foolish was he to underestimate the two very men that had fought as his equals for several years. Noboru had warned him upon his death bed that to follow the path his master Ryuunosuke had taken would lead to flames and wrath even he could not ascertain.

How right his former mentor had been. Even as the flame licked at his insides and the demons drove ever near in their masses. Still he could hear the terrified screams of his closest friends' blood as they watch their beloved leaders be torn apart by the flames of their friend as his control was lost. Their silent mouths but screaming eyes would be forever burned into his moment as he met their gazes in terrified horror of his own actions. They knew this would happen; they had been prepared for so long yet not once had they said otherwise during their battle.

_You are no god_; they had said and indeed if ever he was a god it would have been of the worst breed. Darker even than the young man commanding the demons of hell to fall upon him; he would be more monster than man. To see all the havoc and terror he has caused and had a hand in laid out before him as he dies shatters his heart before even the demons can reach it to kill it off. He had blamed them; scorned them for leaving his side and no longer being his friends. That, if any, was his only childish fear remaining after so many years. He was a fool. His actions had destroyed their friendship. His unyielding quest for power and prestige had distanced himself from his friends and the man he had once been. They were right to hide their families from his manipulating hand.

He was no god…he was not even pure enough to be called a human in his own eyes. The blade in his hand was more humane than he. He had become a monster and he deeply regretted the pain he had inflicted on the two men that were very nearly brothers to him. "Forgive me my brothers…I have always been so selfish. I have always taken from you but never given in turn. I am a cruel monster not worthy enough of your friendship."

Just as the furious trio fall upon him he stares up at the sky nearly seeing their faces in the fumes of his own blaze and plunged the fires of his own zanpakuto deep into his chest. Screams of agony reach a fever pitch as an explosion races from his very soul and his flame condense upon themselves harming no one but himself. They muffle his screams and morph into horrible visions of those closest to him. His brothers, his mentors, his sister, his mother, and his one and only love all killed by his foolishness.


	2. Chapter 1

Soft onyx locks sway in the steady breeze as a young woman swings her legs back and forth over the railing. Her eyes trace the massive clearing as the sun beats down in shining waves across the grass. Her red eyes dance with mirth as she watches two men fight against one another with kendo sticks. The taller of the two has incredibly dark hair the color of a raven's feathers and his bright blue eyes that are vivid and expressive. His face is composed of hard edges and lines of freckles dot his sun kissed skin. His top is off and hangs loosely at his hips as he moves gracefully with his kendo stick. The other male is also tall with onyx colored hair but his is much longer and pulled high on his head by a white leather band. His shirt was still on and yet it was tucked untidily into his hakama. Both were bare foot and had blue sashes tied tightly around their waists. "Alright you two that's enough for today!" The young woman starts as a deep baritone reverberates from behind her. Two lean arms cross the banister of the railing and the dark brown haired male leans forward to peer at her from the corner of his eyes. His lips are quirked in a playful grin just daring her to object.

"Hai Noboru-sensei…" The two boys bow deeply and walk toward the storage sheds pushing at each other playfully and talking loudly. Kuchiki Ginrei and Shiba Isao were incredibly talented and driven students but sometimes they had the ability to act incredibly immature around one another; not unlike their partner in crime Yamamoto Genryusai. They reminded her of her own childhood which she spent training with the two males currently residing in the clearing with her. Still, she tries valiantly to ignore the inquiring look gracing her long time friend's face.

"Are you not supposed to be on bed rest Aya-chan?" The dark haired woman frowns indignantly at the older man and turns fiery eyes toward him. He watches nonchalantly as her lips curl back in a vicious snarl that no longer had any effect on him.

His gaze never wavers from hers as her hands predictably settle firmly on her hips and she leans forward slightly. Her gorgeous black hair falls lightly over her left shoulder in a whirl as she begins her normal rant. "I'll have you know Noboru I am no invalid! I am perfectly together enough to know when-" Noboru catches her as violent coughs rack her tiny frame. Her shoulders shake against his chest as suspiciously wet coughs echo in the still air around them. Finally when the coughing stops he pulls her face away from his chest and pulls her crimson hand away from her equally crimson mouth. With a practiced ease he pulls a deep red cloth from inside his shirt and gently wipes the smears of blood away from her lips and off of her hand. "You always know to carry a red one…" Her voice was deeper than it had been before and he nearly cringed at the dull rasp to it from being raw.

"Shh…let's get you to bed, ne Aya-chan?" She nods weakly and snuggled into his chest after he effortlessly swings her frail form into his arms. Her arms hang loosely around his neck as his fingers idly rub her back soothingly. They're silent as they walk down the porch and toward her chambers. Unbeknownst to them two sets of wide and terrified eyes follow Noboru's steps toward Aya's room.

"Gomen Nobo…I thought I felt better today." Her barely audible whisper ghosts to his ears and without thinking he drops a lingering kiss to her forehead and inhales her flowery scent to calm himself. He almost jumps when her head tilts back and her lips ghost over his. The coppery taste of blood lingers over those thin lips and he almost misses the plumpness they had once held but then thoughts of never tasting her lips again enter his mind and an overwhelming sadness crashes down on him. "Nobo…I know you've said no so many times but-"

"Yes." Her eyes fly open in surprise and she stares deep into his depressed gaze. "I can't think of letting you leave this world Aya…but even worse would be, never knowing what I could have had." She watches in fascination as a crystalline tear drops down his cheek and onto the fabric on her shoulder. She barely feels the shift in his arms as he gently pushes the shoji to her chambers open. She reaches up with unsteady hands and wipes the trail of wetness from his cheeks.

Her lips still tremble feebly but her hands are strong and firm on his cheeks. "Do not mourn for my loss Nobo…I have experienced so many things in my life. I want you to move forward in life and love once more. Perhaps one day you will even sire a child." Noboru watches as a tender smile blesses her face lighting it up with a glow he hadn't witnessed since her health began to deteriorate.

"Don't say things like that Aya-chan…" He kneels and slips her gently onto the bed before reaching across her and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It degrades my love for you."

~~CxB~~

Two heads of swaying black hair frame a head of brilliant blond waves. Two have their hair tied up while the other's shorter locks are left to sway in the cool evening breeze. The silence is calming as the dark haired males keep to themselves while their thoughts run rampant in their heads. The youngest of the trio is trying desperately to stop himself from voicing his troubled thoughts after seeing one of his mentors and heroes in such a position. His hands are still trembling from the experience. He never wondered why she would be absent some days and appear the next day as if nothing happened. All of their mentors had their own families and would disappear from time to time in order to deal with things that the three children weren't old enough to understand.

Ginrei might have been just beginning to understand everything in that world but he and Genryusai were still too young to be exposed to those parts of the world. Still, he knew by the desolate look in the eldest's eyes that he was not unaffected. Isao was many things; crazy, loud, brash, and stubborn to name a few; but he was not cold and uncaring. Ginrei could never see him becoming anything like that. Shiba Isao was a wonderfully loving person with a vibrancy that rivaled any person's in the entire Rukongai. He was a strong leader and an incredible intelligent student. He was a prodigy among prodigies if such a thing existed.

"Aya-sensei is ill." Two head whip to the left to stare in shock at the now silent dark haired male. His long strides continue at a regular pace as if he hadn't just said something that could be considered earth shattering and world changing. "I've suspected it for a while actually. I heard my Jii-san talking about it the other day with some friends while I was training in the fields behind the manor."

"What do you mean you heard Shiba-sama talking about it? Hitoba-sensei hasn't said anything about her being ill. He would know wouldn't he?" The blond brushes a few locks of hair away from his dark eyes and glares sharply at the oldest of the three of them. Isao does not bother to even glance at the blond as he continues to walk in silence once more. "Don't joke about things like that Isao!"

Isao pauses in surprise as Genryusai latches onto his arm and grips his wrist tightly. Ginrei sees the possibility of a fight occurring fast as he watches the normally light blue eyes of his closest friend darken in rage. A Shiba temper was never something to mess around with. "Gen, Isao is telling the truth. We saw Aya-sensei coughing up blood today after our lessons with her. Noboru-sensei had to carry her back to her room she was so weak!" Isao deftly tugs his wrist from the blond's slacking hold.

He brushes off his clothing angrily and glares sharply at the awestruck blond. "She's an Ukitake and a female at that. Are you so naïve Genryusai that you wouldn't think there is even the slightest chance she could have the same illness as her aunt and cousin? Her mother was just lucky to live let alone give birth to her!" Isao whirls and shunpos down the path farther. "You should hurry home Ginrei…we both know your Otou-sama wouldn't be pleased if you were late for dinner."

Ginrei watches in surprise as Isao disappears before hurrying to shunpo home as well with a half hearted wave toward their fuming blond friend. Genryusai frowns into the darkness and turns to return home as well still stewing over the insults Isao so rudely bestowed upon him. Just because they were one of the most powerful noble houses did not mean he did not need to respect everyone around him.

~~CxB~~

Darkness brought whispers to his jumbled mind as he walked through the disjointed paths of the large manor, through the spacious clearing, and back into the winding paths of Aya's gardens until he reached his favorite tree. It sat beside a small spring and was nearly secluded from the rest of the gardens. The events of the past several hours and the past years tumble through his muddled brain as he thinks back on everything he had lost in the last few years and what he is poised to lose in the coming years or even months. Ukitake Aya was the sun, the moon, and the stars in his life for so long that to even think on taking a breath of air without her by his side brought deep searing pain to his heart.

He could still remember the day that she revealed her darkest secret to him while that sat beneath this very tree and her head was perched on his lap as her much shorter black hair pooled around her head and down over his thighs. Her crimson eyes were bright with laughter as she reached up to pull leaves from his long locks of brown hair. She looked up at him with such intensity and determination that it startled him for a moment and then she whispered the most unusual thing into the silence around them. _"If I ever have a child I'll name him Jushiro. That's a very strong name, ne Nobo?"_ Her lips pulled up in an adoring smile as she patted his cheek and then tugged lightly at a piece of his hair to get him to answer her.

_"Yes that is a very nice name for a boy but what if you have a girl, Aya-chan? Shouldn't you think of a name for her then?"_ He remembers watching as her crimson eyes fell closed in time with the way her hand dropped from his cheek. Then they opened and she glances out across the pool of water as tears budded in the corners of her eyes.

_"I'd rather die than birth another Ukitake female into this world Noboru."_ Her fingers curled tightly into fists and then she took a deep breath and turns back to look at him. _"We're all the same you know. We're on the brink of death from our first breath to our last. Males rarely get it but females always do." _The way the words fell from her mouth and the cold chill that speared his heart in that moment will be something he will never forget no matter how many years he was alive.

Scrambling to find something to say to cheer his closest friend up he asks the first thing that falls from his lips and sorely regrets doing so a few moment later. _"You don't have it though Aya…"_ The silence that descended around them as she refuses to speak refutes the statement better than anything else could. It was in that very moment that he realized how much he could lose if this one soul was taken away from him. His love for her was so deeply rooted in his soul that he couldn't fathom living a life without her. They were still so young, he had thought, how could he feel such strong emotions toward one single soul in existence. Yet each time he glanced down at her or ran a tender hand through her hair he found that he didn't care that he couldn't look at another woman the way he looked at her. He would be content to spend his entire life standing at her side until she no longer breathed the air of this world. However he could not bring himself to grant her the one thing she truly desired because he was too selfish to cut short what little time he had left with her.

"Nobo what are you doing all the way out here?" Her soft voice carried across the small clearing and his head turns to watch as she walks lazily toward him clutching his haori around her bare form with only a pair of underpants covering her bottom. She reaches him and without saying a word she settles across his lap like she always has and her long hair pools on the ground beside his thigh. "This is much better than my cold bed Nobo."

Her crimson eyes flutter closed and he smiles softly before running a calming hand through her raven locks. "Gomen Aya-chan…I didn't mean to leave you for so long." A small loving smile graces her lips as she reaches up blindly and finds his cheek. With a strength he was sure she didn't possess she brings his lips to hers and presses a lingering kiss to them.

"You over think everything far too much Nobo." She drops her hand and folds it neatly with the other one on her stomach. "Had you woke me up, I would have happily joined you out here tonight. It's lovely outside." He smiles softly and leans back against the tree with merely a hum of acknowledgement. This was their love. It was not flashy and often times no one fully understood their bond, such as Ryuunosuke, but their love was a warm flame that burned for years and never flickered or dulled. It was only strong enough to illuminate the first few steps of the unknown path so they merely had one another to focus on and not the unyielding darkness that the future would bring.

~~CxB~~

Light blue eyes watch as the leaves catch the breeze and swirl around him before the massive fields of red flowers dance around his legs. The stars twinkle down around him and he glances up at the night sky in longing. "If ever I have children I will ensure that I will remain forever so that they may never know the pain of losing those that sire you before you could even meet them." His fingers aimlessly pluck a red flower from the ground and he stares half heartedly at the vibrant petals. Glancing down at the ground he raises a fine black brow when he realizes that several of the flowers had been picked recently and only the very bottom of their stems remain in the ground. "How odd…I was sure no one knew of this place." With a soft sigh he turn his eyes toward the distance lights of Shiba manor and rises from his position on the ground not once noticing the dazzling green eyes glancing out at him from behind the leaves of a large tree. Between the fingers of a petite pale hand is the stem of a flower. The red petals are brilliantly dazzling as her reiatsu sweeps through the stem and pushes life into the dying plant.

Her green eyes watch in sadness as the young male walks away back toward the desolate looking manor upon the hill like he does every night. Between his fingers are two long stemmed red flowers and before he leaves the fields of flowers he stops before two trees an lays a flowers beneath each one. She watches like always as he bows respectfully before the two trees and then disappears up the darkened path toward his home. She didn't quite understand what the tree stood for but then again Morimoto Setsuna didn't even know the name of the black haired, blue eyed boy that she secretly spent her nights with.


	3. Chapter 2

The early morning sunrise is met with the sound of voice rising louder and louder. Dark black hair flows down the hallways as two sets of quick footsteps move toward the same location. The female stops right before running into the back of another male and the male slides to a stop right beside the male. His lips are pursed in anger as best as can be with the large scar running down his mouth and left eye. The black haired female leans around the white haired male and stares in surprise at the red faced Shiba boy and snarling Yamamoto boy.

"Do you really think you're self so faultless that you cannot make a mistake Isao?! You're not perfect and you're not better than anyone else. Just because your parents may have put it into your head that you're better than everyone else doesn't mean that you are." Genryusai's fists flies through the air and Aya flinches waiting for the impact but stares in awe as the oldest of the trio catches it mid swing and then disappears.

Ginrei glares fiercely at the blond boy while his entire body shakes. Noboru steps forward only to be stopped by Ryuunosuke who shakes his head. "Genryusai needs to learn that his temper can get the best of him and that he must think before he speaks, Noboru. Let him have his punishment." Noboru raises an eyebrow in surprise before nodding softly and crossing his arms over his chest.

Aya steps up beside him and tilts her head to the side as Ginrei tries valiantly to control his temper. His lips curl up in a fierce scowl and his cheek burn with anger as he finally loses the battle with himself and advances on Genryusai with his blade shining in the sunlight. "You boke, Isao doesn't have parents. If you cared about anyone as much as you cared about yourself Genryusai you would have known that long ago. His mother died after a hollow attacked their home in the Rukongai and his father died shortly after from wounds he gained from protecting Isao and his mother! Isao was only five then…" Before anyone can move to stop him his blade flies through the air and slices through the soft skin of the once unblemished face of Yamamoto Genryusai. Ginrei frowns and slices across the boys face once more with the gleaming blade. "You're a terrible little child Genryusai. You are the spoiled one…not me and certainly not Isao."

The blade falls from the younger boy's hand and he darts into the trees to find his friend. Aya turns to glance at Noboru who nods and takes off after the pair of boys with his zanpakuto strung on his back. Ryuunosuke steps forward and picks the blade up out of the grass before putting it back in its sheath and hanging it up on the wall. He steps into the manor once more without another word to his student. Aya watches in surprise as the white haired male disappears into the halls and then turns back to the awestruck blond boy. Genryusai hadn't moved an inch from where he stood when Ginrei attacked him, still in shock.

With a sigh, Aya steps forward and maneuvers him by the shoulder toward the healing room. She pushes him onto a futon and settles down on the floor beside him with ease. His dark eyes stare at her in sadness as her glowing blue palm hovers over his face aiding in the healing process of the fresh wounds. "I won't be able to remove the scars Gen…you'll have to live with those for the rest of your life. Perhaps each time you see them you will be reminded that you should not speak of things which you have no knowledge." She notices how the boy's eyes stew in darkness and can feel a deep sadness lingering in her heart. He had once been so pure of heart and now jealousy and greed are tainting him in way that she could not have even predicted.

Genryusai stews silently over the young Kuchiki heir daring to bring a blade to his face and then alternately reprimanding himself for underestimating the strength and gal of the Kuchiki heir. Never once does he notice the gentle ease his mentor puts into healing his wounds and wiping the blood from his face with a crimson towel. She was so gentle that he barely felt the sting of a fresh wound being cleaned. Had he paid attention he would realize that the tender affection he so desired at home was willingly given from the hands of his mentors who cared for his well being and desired only to make him and better human being.

Aya stares at the young prodigy for a moment as he stares into space not even realizing she was finished. Her crimson eyes trace the lithe young face now marred by a smooth crossing of scars. Taking a deep breath she reaches forward and pats his head before leaving the room.

~~CxB~~

Isao sits staring up at the ceiling on a low lying sofa in the conservatory. His grey eyes stare up at the white clouds as they pass over the glass domed ceiling. His arms are folded behind his head as he completely ignores the exasperated ladies maid and his grandmother. "Isao, as heir to the Shiba clan-"

Rolling his eyes Isao interrupts his grandmother's daily rant about his future bride. "I must choose a bride of high quality and of a blood line superior enough to be joined with the Shiba line; yes I am aware Obaa-sama." Rolling up into a sitting position and swinging his feet over the edge of the sofa, Isao turns his eyes to his disgruntled grandmother. "However, the thing is I do not wish to marry any of these power and money hungry onna. So therefore, you will need to compile another list of all the females in the court that are not either of those things and actually have enough of a back bone to stand up to you and then I might be more inclined to choose a bride."

Her grey eyes are wide in astonishment before her lips purse and she glares fiercely at her disrespectful grandson. "I am not of the mind to care what it is you desire Isao and seeing as your unfaithful mother and the bastard spawn she gave birth to while in this home have dishonored our good name enough, you will be a good little heir and restore our name to proper standing. And seeing as I am still married to your Ojii-sama and he's too weak to refuse me you will be following my orders." The older woman smiles triumphantly but gawks at her disobedient grandson as he snorts in amusement and stands. She watches in confusion as he dusts himself off and then slowly turns to look at her.

"Married to the head of the clan you may be for this moment, however everyone here knows that Jii-sama is on his death bed and Shiba house rule states that no man or woman not of direct lineage to the Shiba clan can be clan head whether it be replacement or stand in for the former. That being said, it is also well known that Kaito is not of Shiba blood nor are you; leaving me as the only option to take power and when that occurs you will have no hold over me. The day grandfather dies is the day I shall take bride, hag." The lady's maid stares in shock as the young heir lithely approaches his grandmother like a predator to prey. "You should then hope for death before I take power because though you may be my Obaa-sama you are nothing more than a nuisance that will be removed from the Shiba home."

With a beautiful grin the young heir walks out of the conservatory doors with his hands in his pockets and a grin on his lips. His natural scent lingers in her nose for several moments before being overwhelmed by the perfume of her mistress. Silently, she cannot wait for the day that she no longer must wait on the elderly mistress. She was a horrid woman and demanded too much from the maid and saw too little to ever be pleased. "Insolent little brat has too much of his whore mother in him. My dear musuko would never have disrespected me so, Soi." The lady's maid frowns at the unusual nickname before rolling her eyes and following after her mistress who continues to speak such rude things about the young heir.

~~CxB~~

Isao steps lithely into the rolling fields of red but stops short upon seeing a vibrant young woman whirling around in the flowers with her arms outstretched. She wore the pale green yukata of a servant but she was not one belonging to the Shiba estate. That color was the color of another estate he was all too familiar with. They were terribly mistreated and yet here stood a woman who glowed with joy and purity. His baby blue eyes watch as her short blonde locks fly around her green eyes with each twirl.

"Don't stop…" He says without realizing it as she stops spinning. Her head darts up and a look of fear and shock crosses her lovely features as she backs away from him. "No please that was perhaps the loveliest thing I have seen or heard all day. I beg you to continue as you were milady." She stops as he seemingly appears before her out of thin air and grasps her wrist delicately.

He narrows his brows as she stares at his hand in wonder and awe. Are they really so terrible to their servants that the young woman had never felt the gentle touch of another human being? Her head tilts up and he nearly gasps at the two delicate scars marring her lovely features. Finally he notices a black tattoo inscribed with her name along her shoulder and neck. "Gomen Shiba-san I did not know you would be here today…I can leave…"

Isao chuckles lightly and running on instinct alone, he slips his fingers through hers before grinning down into her awestruck features. "Did I not just ask you to continue as you were Setsuna-chan? I was entirely truthful when I told you that you have just graced me with the loveliest part of my day." He lightly tries to guide her into a spin again and looks pleadingly into her eyes. "Please humor a tired soul…"

With a very delicate smile she follows his guiding touch and begins spinning with him in a well practiced dance that anyone in the court would know whether they were an upper clan or a lower clan. She notices a questioning look in his eyes he later suspects and answers his thoughts easily. "My family had once been a lower ranked clan until the Aizen Clan took our lands through conquest and made us to be their servants. I was still a young girl but certainly old enough to be a servant for the lady of the house." Isao frowns at the very thought of a clan that was so hated by the remainder of the Shiba Clan. They were of the same blood that his grandmother says 'tainted' their clan.

"May I say you are far too beautiful to be a maid of such devious people little onna." Perhaps her parents had named her Setsuna because she had the ability to turn your world upside down in an instant. "I doubt you will be a servant for long…In several months the Aizen Clan will no longer be a power I assure you."

~~CxB~~

Isao rubs the sleep from his tired eyes as a servant hurriedly pushes a yukata into his hands and tells him to put it on. As he pulls it on he follows after the distressed servant only to stop at the doors of his grandfather's suite. "Shiba-dono requested your presence immediately, Isao-sama." Isao furrows his brows as the servant bows and disappears down the halls once more to return to her room. With a shrug he opens the doors as he normally does with his elderly grandfather and starts when he notices the pallor of the older male's normally tanned features. His cheeks are gaunt and his vibrant eyes lifeless.

Kneeling by the man's beside, Isao pulls his skeletal fingers into his palms. "Isao, my magomusuko…I'm glad you came here." His cracked lips pull up in a tender smile reserved only for his dearest grandson. "It is soon my time to pass, my Seishin has left me already Isao. I leave to you everything in my possession my boy and what you must know is written in Hana's hand upon that parchment. Be well my boy." Isao watches in awe and despair as the light in his grandfather's eyes dies out and he gently closes the man's eyes before infusing his body with a small tether of reiatsu and allowing it to disperse into particles just as his grandfather had done for both his mother and father. A pyre would be burnt in several days and then he would take the true position of Head.

Falling back onto his butt the young heir, now head, pulls the fresh parchment from the side table and begins to read.

_ I, Shiba Bankotsu, do hereby seal this document as my last will and ensure that it is a testament to my desires and wishes upon my departure from this world. _

_ I leave my position as Forty-Second Head of the Clan Shiba to my magomusuko, Shiba Isao, thus naming him the Forty-Fourth Head of the Clan Shiba. My worldly possession become his including control over minor houses and allied houses all listed in my personal studies. The key to which is located where only a Clan Head can enter. _

_ My premature demise comes not by the hands of fate but by the hands of a drink found too late to be reversed; that being documented by the healers of the Reio several moons ago. As are my wishes, Shiba Kiyohime is now and forever removed from the Shiba line and is to be left with nothing but what she entered the clan holding as she is the hand responsible for the demise of the Forty-Second Head's, the Forty-Third Head's, and Shiba Isae's death. As I have loved her in life I will spare her a death that she so deserves for the demise of our child and his wife. _

_ Isao I leave you with these words of wisdom; let no one force upon you something you do not wish. Stand for all that you desire as a man more powerful than many that will ever come to existence. Marry who you deem of good character to become your partner in life. Also, always remember a prophecy your mother spoke before her last breath._

_**'The origins will return when three of one blood are born in the same mold. Power beyond compare will return what is old when what is new fails to bring about balance but to do so former allies must defeat someone once held dear.' **_

___Goodbye my magomusuko and continue on our line until the old empire rises again. _

_ Shiba Bankotsu (Forty-Second Head of Clan Shiba)_

Isao looks down at the paper in confusion but folds it neatly and slips it into his yukata pocket. With deft skill he crawls across the floor to a hidden door beneath the floor boards and lifts it up. Underneath the trap doors is a small compartment fitted with several small boxes. Glancing at the door he allows his reiatsu to crawl across the floors locking the shoji into place so no one can enter the room but him. With a deft ease he pulls a black bamboo box out of the compartment and places it aside. Next he pulls a much larger box of the same rare black wood out of the compartment and also sets it aside leaving a much smaller box behind. He finally lifts this box from the compartment as well and behind the last box is a small panel that he pulls open and retrieves a small yet ancient crimson key.

With practiced ease the young heir opens the first box he removed from the compartment to reveal a pair of black tekkou inscribed with the symbol of the Shiba clan. He tucks them carefully into the box and then moves onto the largest box. Inside the wood is a long silken sash made of pure white fabric that faded to crimson and then looked to be burnt with black. Nodding in satisfaction he closes the box and opens the last box to reveal a silken cushion filled with an intricate hair piece also made of fabric. Smirking, Isao closes the last box, closes the compartment, and before picking up the boxes he places the key around his neck for safe keeping.

The Shiba head silently unlocks the doors and disappears back to his room. Entering the room he shut the doors as rain begins to pour on the roof of the nearly silent manor. He drops down to his knees by a piece of floor board and careful tucks all the Shiba Clan symbols of power into his own secret compartment as well as the key to the vault. Isao steps away from the compartment and watches as the door is hidden once more in the lines of the floor. With ease he slides into bed and falls back asleep with a smile upon his face.


	4. Chapter 3

Ginrei is shaken awake by his mother who's normal smiling face in clouded in a veil of sadness. "Get up and get dressed in your best clothing musuko. We will be leaving for the Shiba estate very soon." Ginrei nods sharply and scrambles to get dressed in the time given to him. He dresses in his best clothing knowing that his mother's sadness meant death, perhaps even the dead of Shiba-dono himself.

He steps out of his chambers and is greeted by his mother to whom he offers his arm. She slips her hand through his arm and they walk side by side into the courtyard where his father is talking quietly with a guard. "We'll be taking our leave now Souta…we will return after the coronation to ensure that Isao will be settling in properly. Things are certain to get very nasty in the coming days."

"Kaa-san what's happening? What does Tou-san mean about a coronation?" Ginrei turns frantic eyes on his somber mother while he whispers urgently to her so as not to disrupt his father. "Kaa-san, answer me!"

The Kuchiki matriarch turns to her worried son and presses a calming hand to his cheek like she did when he was still a little boy. "Shiba-dono passed away last night and the burning of the pyre is tonight then in two days Isao will be named the new head of the Shiba Clan. Unfortunately he and Kiyohime have not been getting along and she is being removed from the clan after the coronation due to allegations that she killed Shiba-dono." She watches in awe as her son's eyes widen and then nothing is left before her but a breeze. Her husband glances at her and rolls his eyes before taking her hand and saying goodbye to their most trusted guard. They depart without another thought.

~~CxB~~

Morning dawns bright and early on Shiba manor as Isao dresses slowly for the day in his best clothing. Breakfast with the elder counsel would be starting in a few moments and it would be then that he enters to inform them that his grandfather had died earlier that morning before the sun had risen. He would also be informing his resentful grandmother that she was no longer welcome in the Shiba Clan as ordered by his grandfather. She was after all what her name entailed; a serpent.

With deft ease he pulls the tekkou onto his wrapped wrists until the wrapping no longer shows and ties the new sash around his waist as if he had been doing it for years. The only symbol of power he did not yet have the right to wear was the head piece as he had yet to have his coronation. With a deep breath and deftly tucking of a piece of hair behind his ear, Isao Shiba steps out of the Shoji of his room and walks through the empty halls of the manor toward the dining hall. Isao pushes the doors open with his head held high and steps into the room. The voices inside die out as aged eyes look upon the young heir in awe and despair. They all knew the morning would come where they looked upon this sight. He made a striking figure; however they knew it came at a price. "I have, unfortunately, come to inform you that Shiba Bankotsu passed early this morning with me as a witness to his final breath. His pyre will be lit tonight. He left his last commands to me but you may read it if you so wish."

The eyes of the elders' weigh heavily on the young heir as he tries to remain composed. "Are you well young Head?" Isao turns to his grandfather's sister who looks upon him with warmth and understanding for the pain in his eyes. He could only hide so much of the love and despair he held inside of him for the death of the last member of his true family. Aito could only be so much to him due to the laws that govern the court.

"I am as well as can be assumed in such a situation." The elderly woman nods and stands with her hands over her heart. "Before you speak oo oba-sama, Shiba Kiyohime as willed in Shiba Bankotsu Forty-Second Head of the Clan Shiba's final doctrine of wills you are hereby formally removed from the Clan Shiba before the elders of the clan and are ordered to leave the premises with nothing more than you came into the clan owning."

All the eyes of the clan widen as Isao pulls a rolled parchment from his sleeve and hands it to his great aunt who reads the parchment with wide eyes noticing that it is indeed her brother's servant that wrote the will. "Your orders are valid Isao…I'm afraid you are no longer a member of the Clan Shiba Kiyohime and therefore you will leave this home with nothing more than the Yukata of a servant and several coins on your person." Isao looks into the awestruck face of his former grandmother and watches as a wide range of emotions flies across her eyes before settling on anger.

"You deceitful brat, how dare you remove your own blood from the clan with all that I have done for you! I raised you when my musuko's detestable wife got them killed! This is how you treat me?!" Her eyes are wild and her high voice breaks as she shouts at the stone faced new head of the Shiba Clan. She breathes deeply and watches as he crosses the room with a deadly grace. Her hands find her hips as his arm reaches for her. Surprisingly he does not hit to the woman as many think he will instead he pulls the Shiba medallion from her slender neck and hands it calmly to the nearest elder of the clan.

"You know nothing of my kaa-san, my tou-san, or my jii-san. You are a two faced snake intent on having nothing but power and wealth. The only ungrateful hag to roam these halls is you and even the hags of hell would not welcome you to their circle." Her eyes narrow in disbelief as he smirks viciously. "Why don't you tell our dear elders how you murdered your husband with poison or how you had kaa-san killed by a hollow that also inadvertently killed your son as well. Tell them how you have tried to have Aito attacked several times! Had it not been for me saving him my otouto would have died several times…" With a precision no one saw from the elderly woman Bankotsu's younger sister steps up to the older woman and the sound of flesh connecting with flesh echoes around the room.

"Remove her from the Shiba estate chained and bound in nothing but what she bore the day she was born!" Several guard rush in at hearing the enraged voice of the elderly woman. They remove the former matriarch of the clan and then disappear leaving behind a stunned crowd. "Any who oppose my decision may take it up with someone who cares!" Isao watches in awe as his elderly great aunt stalks back to her seat and then calmly takes her place once more. Shrugging his shoulders he settles back into his seat and is served his breakfast like normal.

"Shiba-dono what is it you wish to discuss this morning?" Isao looks up from his meal with a confused furrow to his brow. Several elders chuckle at his quirky behavior while trying to hide their amusement. His eyes and nose are held well but his cheeks are filled with remnants of his breakfast and he looks particularly childish in that moment.

Swallowing quickly, Isao straightens before answering their questions. "To be honest I'm not entirely sure what to talk about and also please call me Isao or Isao-sama if you must. You're the ones I should be respecting not the other way around." Isao wipes his mouth with a napkin as a servant fills his goblet with water. Silently he bows his head in appreciation before continuing on talking. "I know that I would like to do something a bit unusual as my first act as Head of the clan but I am unsure as to how I should go about it."

Isae looks up at her great nephew and smiles softly; he was so much like his father when he took the position as head of the clan. He was calm and collected on the outside but bright and vibrant in a way that was nearly gone from the youth of today. He was so well mannered but filled with an undeniable sense of vitality. "Perhaps you can begin with simply telling us what it is you wish to do Isao-chan?" Isae rolls her eyes at the boyish laughter that escapes his lips and his fingers find the back of his neck. She is not sure where he picked up that habit, perhaps from his mentor, but it was adorable. Although he was named after her, Isao certainly was like her brother during his youth; before he married Kiyohime.

"Well you see I find it a terrible disgrace that we allow a clan under our control to treat their servants as poorly as the Aizen clan does. Though I hold no ill will to them for what a member of their clan did to my mother I cannot sit back and allow someone to treat another being the way they treat their servants. That being said I believe that the Aizen clan illegally took siege of lands that were not their own and that must be rectified as we are the clan overseeing them. I have personally met a servant of their clan whose family lost power because of them and now suffer a fate I would not even wish upon Kiyohime." The eyes of the elder's widen in shock that their heir was so intelligent and mature beyond his years. He had spent long hours planning exactly what he wished to do. Isae, in her wisdom, also sees the wonder in the eyes of Isao and she certainly understands that he cares for this because he cares dearly for the person being affected by this decision.

"What is it you wish to be done, Isao-chan?" Isae returns his smile of relief with a motherly grin of her own before patting his hand delicately. "You must but tell us what you wish and will see to it that it is complete."

"I wish to remove the Aizen clan from their station of power trough our Clan name and restore the clans which they illegally gained power over to their former position. Also I wish to propose a contract of courting with the Morimoto clan for the hand of Morimoto Setsuna." Eyes widen in shocked awe as the new heir stands from his seat, brushes off his pants, and then exits the room leaving behind his plate. Servants quickly clean it up already working toward pleasing their new master. The elders are silent as they think over what their young lord has proposed.

It was not uncalled for all things considered. The clan in question has time and time again gone against the wishes of their former head as well as broken the regulations. They have always been a pain in the side of the Shiba clan but no one had ever taken such drastic measures against them. This little boy, once so quiet and reserved, was suddenly a man standing before them. It was awe inspiring if they were to be completely truthful. Isao had always been so soft spoken but now he was truly showing the colors of a Shiba child. The elders couldn't be more delighted.

Of course other families like the Kuchiki's would try desperately to rid their line of such a stubborn and abrasive attitude but as Shiba's they were expected to be loud, obnoxious, and temperamental. They were not interested in the stiff formality of court life but were respected in the court despite that because they were incredibly powerful.

~~CxB~~

"Isao…" The male in question turns toward his mentor in surprise. The young woman is leaning against the railing of the porch with a furrow to her brow. Worry lined her crimson eyes and her lips were pursed as if in thought. "Would you please come with me? You may return to your training afterward."

Isao nods sharply and then turns to bow to Noboru. He straightens and jogs up onto the porch to follow after Aya. His black hair trails after him and Noboru watches him leave with a small smile of pride adorning his lips. The boy had grown into a fine young man in the last several years. He will make a fine clan leader in the coming years and make certain the Shiba clan makes the right choices in the times to come. He certainly was just like his father in appearance but he shared an equal amount of his mother and father's personalities which made for an interesting man.

Aya motions softly for the young male to settle in across the table from her. Isao silently pours the two of them tea as he normally does while she tries to figure out and remember just what she wanted to say to him. "There will be a time in the coming months…arigato Isao-kun…" Aya's hands are surprisingly steady as she takes the cup from her pupil's hands and brings it to her lips. "As I was saying there will come a time where I can no longer be your mentor. When that time arrives the responsibility of your tutelage will be taken on by Noboru. Gomen…I didn't want it to happen this way but circumstances have changed and I know that I do not have much time left for this world." Isao can feel his lips draw down in concern as he tries to understand the overwhelming sadness that pulls heavily at his heart.

Aya watches in confusion as her young pupil places his cup on the table and then proceeds to stare at it with an unreadable glaze to his eyes. His lips part for a moment and then they close once more as he tries to gather his thoughts. Aya's voice hitches in her throat as she watch in awe as a lone tears rolls down her pupil's cheek and his hands begin to shake. She had never seen Shiba Isao cry before; it just was not a possibility that she saw ever coming into reality. The tears begin to drip down his cheeks more than she thought possible for the oddly stoic young boy as he rubs fiercely at his eyes trying to make it all stop. Crawling quickly around the table she pulls the almost too large male into her arms and wraps her arms around his shoulders. "Gomen…gomen Aya…" His heartbreaking voice is muffled by the skin of her neck but she can still hear the words as clear as day and they break her heart.

"Shhh…it is I who should be apologizing little Isa-chan. I didn't know talking about death would upset you…" Aya gasp as the male in her arms rears back and glares fiercely at her through his still flowing tears.

Isao watches in anger as her brows narrow in confusion. "Baka!" His jaws locks together as he breathes in through his nose and clenches his fists tightly. "It's not just talking about death that has upset me! Talking about your death upsets me! You; the only person who has been stable in my life since my parents died. You; the only person who saw me for what I was instead of being yet another Shiba brat to walk around acting as if I own the world! You saw me as someone who was important and talented and special…you saw me like a child to you." Aya watches as his whole body slumps down and his head drops until he's looking up at her through his bangs. "I-I saw you…I see you as if…"

Isao starts as a tender hand drops firmly onto his head and then proceeds to ruffle his hair playfully. "Gomen Isa-chan…I didn't mean to upset you. I see you in the very same way. You are my family little one." Isao watches her in surprise. She had never revealed to him just what she felt toward him but to know that she felt motherly toward the young boy she had practically raised made his heart feel lighter knowing someone loved him as his mother should have. He and his father had never been enough for his mother and thus Aito, his brother, was born to another. "I promise to always remain steadfastly your's Isa-chan, that's alright ne?"

"Arigato Aya…" Isao wipes hastily at his cheeks and eyes and reaches out to brush away a few tears that had fallen down Aya's cheeks. His fingers are cold and a little damp but she finds that she doesn't mind at all. "Ano…what circumstances have occurred that you won't…"

A small content smile falls gracefully over Ukitake Aya's lips as she lithely rubs the top of her stomach. "Noboru and I are having a child Isa-chan." The cup Isao had just picked up to refill falls from his limp fingers and shatters on the floor as he stares at her. A large joyous smile takes over his face as he quickly gets up and lifts her off of the ground to spin her around.

Her peals of laughter ring around the room as he places her on the ground and hastily kisses her both of her cheeks before grinning down at her like a little. "He'll be protected, I promise Aya. I'll make sure little Shiro is protected at all times." Aya's eyes widen when she hears him voice the nickname that had been going through her mind off and on as she tried to think of girl's names but only came up with one name.

"How'd…" She watches as he gives her a knowing grin before dashing out the door with a hasty bow. She watches the door for a few moments and then rolls her eyes and kneels near the broken cup. "That boy will never be normal I swear. One would think he would be exhausted after flipping through so many emotions in a day." Idly she begins to hum as she cleans up the remnants of their tea. Things would definitely be getting very interesting with Isao taking power, Noboru becoming a father, and everyone else finding out about it.


End file.
